Gartsherrie House

Glasgow University Library, Special Collections, Dougan Collection

Gartsherrie House, near Coatbridge, photographed by Thomas Annan in 1870.

In 1826 the iron founders William Baird & Co. leased the Gartsherrie estate's coal fields. The firm opened an iron works there in 1830 and acquired the mansion house and adjoining lands in 1834. The house was occupied by William Baird (b 1796) and then by his brother James (1802-1876) before it passed to their nephew Alexander Whitelaw (1823-1879), first chairman of the Glasgow School Board from 1873 and MP for Glasgow, 1874-1879.